Nursing Home Patients With Alzheimer's Drugged to Death

Despite strict government warnings and national initiatives cracking down on administering antipsychotic drugs to older people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia, dangerous abuses persist. The practice is particularly pernicious when it occurs in nursing homes, behind closed doors, where the most vulnerable residents are rarely informed or allowed to give meaningful consent before being drugged.

The Center for Medicare Advocacy, a nonprofit law organization, recently issued an alert after analyzing the continued overuse of antipsychotics in nursing homes. It found that in 2016, more than 270,000 nursing home residents are still being liberally drugged with them even though the overwhelming majority of them have not been diagnosed with any type of psychosis. The Center decried it as elder abuse and “a national scandal.”

Nursing home residents are medicated in alarming degrees with alarming doses of anti-depressants, anti-anxieties, antipsychotics, sedatives, and hypnotics—all belonging to the family of “psychoactive” drugs, also called anti-psychotics, psychotropics, or psychotherapeutics. Whatever their label, they work on the brain in various ways to change a person’s mood, behavior, or personality. Most of them also decrease the level of consciousness, acting as a type of “chemical restraint.”

While there are justifiable and therapeutic uses for these drugs, particularly for individuals with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, they’re frequently misused and abused in nursing homes, where a majority of the residents are prescribed one or more of them, usually to calm those who are agitated or combative—and considered problematic patients.

But the powerful drugs, acting alone and in interaction with other drugs, have a long list of common side effects—including tremors, anxiety, confusion, insomnia, immobility, delirium, kidney and heart failure, and violent behavior. Another common effect, oversedation, often greatly increases the risks of falls and fractures. And in some people, those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia, psychoactive drugs can even cause death.

Ignoring the Warnings
The risk is so real that in 2005, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued warnings to prescribers and distributors and then imprinted the drugs with one of its rare black box warnings.

It states:
*Elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis treated with conventional or atypical antipsychotic drugs are at an increased risk of death.
*Antipsychotic drugs are not approved for the treatment of dementia-related psychosis.

Furthermore, there is no approved drug for the treatment of dementia-related psychosis. Healthcare professionals should consider other management options.

Perversely, however, the use of such drugs in care facilities actually increased after the FDA’s dire warning.

Full Article and Source:
Nursing Home Residents With Alzheimer's Drugged to Death

6 Alzheimer's Sensory Activities Reduce Anxiety Without Medication

It’s difficult to stand by and watch your older adult with Alzheimer’s or dementia live with anxiety, agitation, or anger. A good way to calm and soothe without using medication is to use sensory therapy. Sensory therapy is an effective method for reducing anxiety, calming nerves, and providing comfort. Seniors use simple touch-based activities to occupy their hands and minds in safe, soothing ways. We found 6 simple, fun, and inexpensive sensory activities that your older adult will love.

1. DIY aquarium sensory bag BabyFirstTV created a video for their Facebook page showing how to create a quick and easy sensory bag with an aquarium theme. It’s a sealed plastic bag with water beads and ocean animals inside You can easily replace the ocean animals with items that are appealing to your senior, like flowers, sports equipment, or fun characters. Or, check out these additional sensory bag examples for more ideas.

2. Scented sensory cards Smells are a powerful way to trigger memories and emotions. A Little Learning for Two shows us how to create simple scented cards with a winter theme. These are universally comforting scents, but you could also substitute other smells that your senior would associate with positive feelings.

3. Homemade non-toxic finger paint These non-toxic, homemade finger paints are a fun way for your senior to express themselves through art. To keep the mess to a minimum, tape a giant piece of butcher paper to the table and let them paint on that.

Full Article and Source:
6 Alzheimer's Sensory Activities Reduce Anxiety Without Medication

Recommended Website: Probate Sharks

Our mission is to expose and remedy corruption in the Probate Court of Cook County, Illinois.

We assist, educate and enlighten families of the dead, the dying, the disabled and the aged to better understand their rights in order to protect themselves from the excesses of the Probate Court of Cook County.

ProbateSharks.com is dedicated to networking the human element of people to people. We join together in reforming the corrupt Cook County Probate Court system.

Probate Sharks

Ohio clinic falsely diagnosed more than 50 patients with Alzheimer's disease, lawsuits say

Shawn Blazsek

A now-defunct medical clinic in Ohio falsely diagnosed more than 50 patients with Alzheimer's disease — leading to months of needless treatments and at least one suicide, a series of lawsuits allege.

Suits filed in Lucas County courts say the Toledo Clinic Cognitive Center employed a director, Sherry-Ann Jenkins, who did not hold any state licenses but still treated and diagnosed patients. She allegedly used the name and license of her husband — Dr. Oliver Jenkins — to authorize tests and treatments, and to bill her unwitting patients.

The suits also say the Toledo Clinic, which ran the cognitive center, “aided and abetted” Jenkins’ quack practice despite knowing she lacked credentials.

“Sherry-Ann Jenkins lacked the training, education, licensing, and credentials,” a complaint filed Jan. 30 says.

“The Toledo Clinic, through its various doctors, employees, and executives, knew Sherry-Ann Jenkins was not trained, educated, licensed, or credentialed to diagnose and treat dementing diseases including Alzheimer’s disease.”

One of the patients, Shawn Blazsek, said Jenkins’ diagnosis led him to start preparing his wife and son for his imminent death — and he also readied a stash of sleeping pills to take for his suicide when his memory faded.

“I was preparing her to be a single mom,” Blazsek, 33, told the Associated Press about his wife Jennifer.

“Here I am, thinking I'm going to be a widow at 43. What am I going to do?” Jennifer said.

“Who's going to teach my boys how to shave? Who's going to play ball with them?”

It took nine months before Blazsek realized his diagnosis came from someone who should have never treated him. Further tests revealed Blazsek never had the disease.

Not everyone was so lucky in the end.

Patient Gary Taynor, a retired train dispatcher and U.S. Air Force vet, was devastated to learn from Jenkins that he had stage three Alzheimer's disease. Unable to live with the illness, he shot and killed himself in January 2016, leaving behind a wife, children and grandchildren.

According to the complaint, Taynor did not have the disease, and no one at the Toledo Clinic gave him reason to doubt the diagnosis.

Several plaintiffs in the suit say they contemplated or prepared for suicide after meeting with Jenkins.

The Toledo Clinic hired Jenkins in 2014, opened its cognitive center the next year and appointed her as its director.

She holds a doctorate degree in physiological science, but no medical licenses of any kind. But she still allegedly presented herself as a licensed physician and psychologist, and the Toledo Clinic allegedly promoted her false claims about her credentials.

The complaint says Jenkins diagnosed dozens of patients, and touted her “holistic” and “all-natural” treatments, including prescriptions for coconut oil.

Neurologists at the Toledo Clinic complained to the Board of Directors about Jenkins’ “incompetence, malfeasance, and misfeasance,” but the board still advised them to approve her treatments, court papers say.

The cognitive center mailed out letters in February 2016 abruptly announcing its closure, with no stated reason. Even then, the center never informed its patients about Jenkins’ lies or advised them to get another examination, the complaint says. But the center still doled out refunds to some patients, again without explanation.

The lawsuits asks for at least $1 million in compensation for each plaintiff.

The Toledo Clinic did not immediately return a request for comment. No criminal charges have been announced against Jenkins or her husband, who are both listed as defendants and also did not immediately return calls.

Full Article & Source:
Ohio clinic falsely diagnosed more than 50 patients with Alzheimer's disease, lawsuits say

Judge Repeatedly Dogged By Ethics Questions

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - An FBI investigation involving General Sessions Judge Casey Moreland isn't the first ethics controversy he has faced.

As the judge who started the General Sessions Drug Court, Casey Moreland has earned high praise for his work with addicts.

But, more than once, he's also found himself at the center of controversy, beginning in 2006 with a ticket-fixing scandal uncovered by NewsChannel 5 Investigates.

At the time, we asked the judge,"If a police officer comes to you and says 'Judge, this ticket was given to a friend of mine," would you dismiss it?"

 "Have I dismissed it? Yes," Moreland admitted.

Among the tickets that he dismissed was one for then House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh.

Moreland said he decided to dismiss all the tickets on the docket with Naifeh that day because he just happened to be in a good mood.

We noted, "Sounds like what you're saying... instead of the justice system, it's the lottery system."

"That day, it probably was," the judge acknowledged.

Then, in 2009, Moreland received a private reprimand from the board that oversees Tennessee judges after our investigation caught him using court employees to work around his house.

NewsChannel 5 Investigates confronted Moreland with the information that one employee was at his house without taking leave from his court job.

 "He was on city time. He did not take that day off," we noted.

"Well, he should have," the judge answered.

We replied, "But you're the one supervising whether he does or not."

Moreland nodded, "I understand."

Five years later, Moreland was publicly reprimanded after he intervened in a domestic violence case at the request of his attorney friend Bryan Lewis.

In that case, he arranged to have Lewis's client, developer David Chase, released from jail -- despite a state law requiring a 12-hour hold.

Still, Moreland refused to admit any wrongdoing.

"I would never intentionally hurt anybody or do something that would hurt someone like that, especially, especially a woman."

The Nashville Scene reports that an anonymous ethics complaint has been filed against Judge Moreland and others over these latest allegations.

Because that complaint wasn't sent to us -- and because those complaints are not public -- we cannot independently confirm that information.

Still, Judge Moreland insisted to the Scene that he has not done anything improper.

Full Article & Source:
Judge Repeatedly Dogged By Ethics Questions

See Also:
Casey Moreland to take leave from bench

Judge dismissed tickets, fines for female friend

Metro General Sessions Judge Casey Moreland resigns as presiding judge

Ethics Complaint Levels Charges Against Two Judges, Lewis

Investigation underway into inmate/deputy relationship in judge’s court

FBI Investigates Nashville Judge's Relationships

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Federal Bureau of Investigation is asking questions about an embattled Davidson County judge, NewsChannel 5 has learned.

Their focus is on allegations of improper relationships and official actions involving longtime General Sessions Judge Casey Moreland.

FBI agents began conducting interviews after allegations emerged from a Metro police investigation into the death of Leigh Terry, a 34-year-old Nashville woman who friends say struggled with depression and alcohol.

Her body was found inside an apartment in the Stahlman Building across from the Metro Courthouse.
Police ruled her death a suicide.

Terry's death came just days after a trip to the Alabama coast with Moreland and defense attorney Bryan Lewis -- a pair whose relationship and vacations have raised ethical questions in the past.

Accompanying the two on this trip were Terry and two other women who, according to court records, had all been defendants assigned to Moreland's court at some point in the past.

According to the police investigative file, Lewis admitted paying for Terry's apartment in the Stahlman, as well as loaning her the gun she eventually used to kill herself.

He later admitted the relationship with Terry was more than just an attorney-client relationship.
"It would be classified a friend and a friend with benefits. Had I had sex with her on occasions? Yes," Lewis told a Metro detective in a tape-recorded interview.

Lewis said he first met Terry when he represented her on a 2013 DUI.

A former boyfriend, Roy Matlock, told police that Terry told him right after they met about a troubling encounter with Moreland.

"When I met her she basically gave me like all her dirty laundry," Matlock told police.

"She told me right then that she had sex with Casey Moreland in the chambers - and that's what kept her out of jail. And she said I feel nasty."

Police reports show another former boyfriend, Brian Pesterfield, also insisted Terry had told him "she got out of a DUI by sleeping with Judge Moreland."

In fact, court records show the 2013 DUI was originally assigned to Moreland.

But the final order, reducing that case to reckless driving and sentencing her to five days in jail, was signed by another judge.

Jail records show Terry never showed up to serve her sentence.

Still, court documents show that Moreland later terminated Terry's probation, effectively ending the case.

Also on the trip was Natalie Amos, who admits she was in a relationship with Judge Moreland.
She was reluctant to tell police who was on the trip.

"I know you don't want to mention somebody, but I just need to know who we are talking about," a Metro detective said to Amos in a recorded interview.

"Casey Moreland," Amos replied.

According to the police file, Terry had told Roy Matlock that "when Natalie Amos told her she owed high court fees, she would call Judge Moreland and have them waived."

Numerous witnesses said Terry began acting erratically during the trip, even threatening to expose Moreland and Lewis.

"She said, 'Ok, I hope you're ready.' And she's like 'I will ruin you.' She said 'I know things.' She's like 'you both know what I'm talking about,'" Amos told police.

Pesterfield recounted how "on the trip she yelled at Bryan Lewis and Casey Moreland that she was going to tell the media about the trips and the mistresses, how she slept with Casey Moreland to get out of a DUI."

Bryan Lewis's reaction to her threats:

"I took that as an idle threat from her, something that was made in the heat of the moment and, you know, that she wouldn't follow through with," Lewis told police.

And Moreland told police he also felt Terry "would calm down and come to her senses" once she got home.

A former boyfriend flew down to the Alabama coast and brought her back to Nashville.

Just days later, the troubled young woman took her own life.

Again, multiple sources say FBI agents have begun conducting interviews in conjunction with these allegations.

We don't know whether this is just a preliminary investigation -- or a full-fledged public corruption case.

Moreland's attorney Worrick Robinson said they will cooperate with any investigation and he looks forward to telling Moreland's side.

Full Article & Source:
FBI Investigates Nashville Judge's Relationships

Steve Miller: Senator Schumer Asked To Reconsider His Appointment To Senate Special Committee On Aging

LAS VEGAS - Nevada families of elderly persons who were exploited by unscrupulous court appointed private guardians are sending emails to United States Senator Charles Schumer asking him to reconsider his appointment of newly elected Nevada U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez-Masto to the Senate Special Committee on Aging.

Most of the emails contain complaints stating that Sen. Cortez-Masto, as Nevada Attorney General ignored numerous requests from wards of Nevada Family Courts or their family members asking the A.G. for assistance in ending exploitative guardianships.

"Based on Senator Cortez-Masto’s long history of not protecting seniors while acting as former Nevada Attorney General, I thought I should provide you with information pertaining to Senator Cortez-Masto’s previous record with respect to protecting the rights of senior citizens who reside in her state," declared the family of an exploited senior citizen.

Another email states; "Senator Cortez-Masto is not an appropriate person to serve on this committee due to her track record of protecting the people who are now under investigation for exploiting senior citizens and disabled persons who were under court appointed guardianships. The victim families who suffered this experience believe that Senator Cortez-Masto allowed abuse of the judicial process to run out of control on her watch."

Family members of persons under Nevada court appointed guardianship have long complained that guardian abuse causes billions of dollars in government waste because court appointed exploiters take the elderly’s life savings and then reduce their "wards" to receiving government aid during their final years when many persons under guardianship have adequate savings or assets to cover their housing and medical costs.

"The removed funds went into the pockets of guardians, their attorneys and other enablers who profited at the expense of an entire nation," stated Charles Pascal whose mother in law Marcy Dudeck allegedly lost $1.4 million dollars while she was under the guardianship of Nevada court appointed private guardian Jared E. Shafer.

Many families say they wrote to A.G. Cortez-Masto's office in Carson City seeking help to save their loved ones from financial, mental, emotional, and physical abuse suffered under the guardianship of Shafer, April Parks, Patience Bristol, and other professional and public guardians in Nevada.

Shafer and Parks are currently under investigation by state and federal law enforcement agencies. Bristol was recently released from the Nevada State Prison after being convicted of elder exploitation while she was employed by Shafer.

One letter to then-Nevada A.G. Cortez-Masto pleaded for help to free 90 year old World War Two hero Guadalupe Olvera from an abusive, financially exploitative, and unnecessary Shafer guardianship. The letter was answered by Cortez-Masto's office with a generic form letter referring Olvera's daughter to agencies she'd already reached out to without success.

Mr. Olvera's plea became the basis of a political TV ad aired throughout Nevada in opposition to Cortez-Masto's candidacy for U.S. Senate. It was later discovered that Jared Shafer was a close friend of Cortez-Masto's late father Manny Cortez who as a County Commissioner in 1976 appointed Shafer to his first job as the Clark County Public Guardian.

At the end of one email to Sen. Schumer, the author stated; "If Senator Cortez-Masto did not protect seniors while serving as Nevada’s Attorney General, she will not be able to serve as a productive member of the Special Committee On Aging. I respectfully request that Senator Cortez-Masto be removed from this committee."

The writer then refers Sen. Schumer to the following list of documents:
https://fpaction.org/freedom-partners-launches-new-ad-showing-how-catherine-cortez-masto-let-down-nevada-seniors/ http://freebeacon.com/politics/families-abused-nevada-seniors-blame-politics-senate-hopefuls-inaction/ https://fpaction.org/new-ad-shows-how-catherine-cortez-masto-ignored-pleas-for-help-from-family-taken-advantage-of-by-nevadas-guardianship-program/ http://www.reviewjournal.com/politics/election-2016/new-senate-ad-accuses-cortez-masto-failing-help-senior http://nasga-stopguardianabuse.blogspot.com/2016/05/steve-miller-ignored-letter-to-nevada.html http://stopguardianabuse.org/victim-profiles/lupe-olvera-nvca/ http://www.americanmafia.com/Inside_Vegas/8-29-16_Inside_Vegas.html

If you wish to comment on the appointment of Sen. Cortez-Masto to the Committee on Aging, Sen. Schumer's email address is: rocint@schumer.senate.gov

~Steve Miller

Email Letter to Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt

From: Becky Olvera Schultz [mailto:]
Sent: Thursday, February 02, 2017 12:16 PM
To: aginfo@ag.nv.gov
Subject: Lack of Professional Guardianship Prosecutions

Attorney General Adam Laxalt,

I’ve always been one of your strongest advocates. After the 2014 election, your office accomplished more than any agency in Nevada in dealing with guardian abuse.

Unfortunately, your progress has stalled. We have received reports regarding the cases your office is currently prosecuting in Northern Nevada. The prosecutions are against family members, not professional or public guardians, who have taken advantage of seniors. These prosecutions do not include any of the notorious guardians in Clark County. It appears there is a hunt for easy targets in Northern Nevada for family members who are using small amounts of their elder’s funds. If we compare these cases to the financial exploitation now occurring in Clark County, NV, by guardians including Jared E. Shafer, April Parks, Denise Comastro, their attorneys and family court judges, the conclusion appears to be the system will not tackle this problem.

This is an excellent start but these cases send a message reinforcing the professional guardian’s point of view which states only the “families” are causing this problem. The message has up to this point changed the focus from the problem guardians we are attempting to bring to justice back toward the families. Professional guardians have been using this message as a shield, which allows them to plunder estates. Professional guardian/former public guardian, Jared E. Shafer, made a statement illustrating this point at one of the guardian commission meetings in Las Vegas.

Your office has failed to go after professional guardians including Jared E. Shafer and April Parks. It appears the cases which have been presented as of this date are in the category of low hanging fruit. The perpetrators appear to be of the garden variety types who simply do not have the tools to fight back.

Charles Pascal, who had the unfortunate experience of having his mother-in-law, Marcy DuDeck, kidnapped through orders given by Jared E. Shafer, has relayed the nature of many conversations he had with this guardian. According to Pascal, Shafer told him that he along with other guardians bribed judges and attorneys and guaranteed that nothing would ever be done because there were large amounts of money involved. Pascal has told many of us that Shafer taunted him into filing complaints because he wanted to show Pascal that nothing would ever be done. And, after all these years of Pascal, myself and others filing complaints with every available agency, nothing has been done. Pascal has been giving this information to victims since 2010 and it appears what Shafer told him is sadly the ugly truth.

The Las Vegas Voice in their current February 2017 issue wrote a harsh article concerning the performance of your office along with that of District Attorney, Steve Wolfson. Many of your strongest supporters are beginning to believe the crack down on guardian abuse is turning into a dog and pony show. I’m having a very difficult time convincing victims this is not true and I am quickly losing faith. Sadly, I have to now agree with this article in that only the “low hanging fruit” is being picked and for what Shafer and Parks would consider “pocket change”.

The specific lack of inaction by your office concerns in particular, guardian April Parks. Judge Allf in Clark County family court recently ruled that Parks indeed took money under wrongful pretenses from Elizabeth Indig, a first from a judge from that Kangaroo Court. Unfortunately, your office along with D.A. Wolfson failed to follow through on the family court ruling.

Another victim, Kristina Berger, is suing Shafer and the trial is this April. She was the victim who had money stolen from her by Shafer’s employee, Patience Bristol, who was convicted. Bristol worked for Shafer and used his office, computer, phone, email, business cards and was under his supervision. The IRS would define Bristol as an employee, but Shafer has yet to suffer repercussions in this matter. Bristol will be released this November unless she is given parole this June 4th.

In the North’s case, we have an unqualified doctor and her employee being sued for submitting false documents to the court declaring both Norths to be incompetent when in fact both were competent. This doctor worked with April Parks to gain control of this couple. Since your office is infatuated with low hanging fruit, this is a ripe plum ready for the picking.

Inquiring minds want to know why April Parks has not been charged with a single crime when you have the North’s case and the Indig case with evidence of exploitation. It’s been over a year since April Park’s home, office and storage was raided, yet she remains a free woman out of state. Why has Shafer been allowed to crawl away into his home, close up his guardian office and live as a free man off my father’s money along with the huge sums of money he has bragged about taking from hundreds of victims since 1979?

We were told that indictments would occur by the election in November 2016, in particular the Jason Hanson case. Unfortunately nothing happened. Then we were told something would take place by the end of 2016. The year ended with no cases being filed. The North’s daughter, Julie Belshe, spoke with D.A. Wolfson recently and now the story is “the end of 2017”. Unfortunately, Mr. Shafer’s words about nothing being done, grows louder in our minds. This delay could go on indefinitely. Yet, a few non-professional family guardians are being prosecuted for “pocket change” for taking advantage of one person while Shafer and Parks exploited hundreds of victims to the tune of millions or possibly more?

Our patience is growing very thin waiting to see justice for all this professional guardian exploitation that has racked in millions, if not billions in the last nearly 30 years. This is money that is pumped into the Nevada economy so we all wonder if the real agenda is for officials to make sure this cash flow is not interrupted.

I will continue to support your office, however this task is becoming increasingly more difficult as each week goes by.

Sincerely,
Becky Olvera Schultz
Daughter of Shafer victim, Guadalupe Olvera

Becky and Lupe

Marcy and Charlie

See Also:
NASGA: Lupe Olvera
NASGA: Marcy E. Dudeck

Steve Miller: Update on Patience Bristol

In an update to my earlier E-Brief, convicted elder exploiter Patience Bristol, a former employee of private guardian Jared E. Shafer, is still serving out her three to eight year prison term.

According to a source at the Casa Grande Transitional Housing facility in Las Vegas, the Nevada Parole Board refused to shorten her sentence, and if she is denied a requested early release on June 4, she will continue to serve out her time until November when her three minimum years of incarceration are scheduled to be completed.

The source states that she has a job during the day, but must spend each night at the transitional housing facility located at 3955 West Russell Road in Las Vegas. The correctional system reportedly takes half of her income for room and board. The source says that the half way house has people who check on Bristol during the day when she is at her workplace to make sure she's not doing anything she shouldn't.

In 2014, while employed at Shafer's Professional Fiduciary Services of Nevada, Inc. (PFSN), she was convicted of stealing money from the elderly or disabled people she was tasked with caring for.

During her PFSN employment as a guardian, she stole at least $200,000 in money and property from four vulnerable people Shafer assigned her to care for. As part of her plea agreement, Bristol agreed to pay over $160,000 in restitution payments to her victims.

Jared Shafer

Jared Shafer was never charged with a crime though he is currently under state and federal investigation.

His business office once located on Pecos Road in Las Vegas has reportedly been closed for the past several months. Clark County Family Court judges who have been accused of colluding with Shafer by appointing him wealthy wards of the court are now reportedly appointing another private guardian, Denise Comastro, the bulk of persons purportedly deemed in need of guardianship.

Comastro has been accused of being a Shafer crony. ~ Steve Miller